Various types of container holders have long been popular for glasses and cans, particularly where the object being held is a cold drink. Oftentimes, these "coaster" type devices are provided with some type of insulation so as to help keep the container being held cool. Another advantage of using this type of device is that the person drinking from the container does not have to touch the container which, because of the warm air striking the cool container, will cause moisture to condense and run down the sides.
An additional problem with conventional koozies is that they are very difficult to imprint with advertising information. It is often quite difficult to make the printing apparatus which can print along the surface of a cylindrical container. In any event, even when such a printing device is developed, it cannot easily process large numbers of holders simply because of the shape of the holder. The tubular configuration of the beverage can holder also has a relatively high manufacturing expense since the closed tubular shape must be molded with the foam material.
It is a common problem with conventional beverage can holder designs that it is quite difficult to remove the can from the interior of the holder. Often, the interior cavity of the holder fits flush against the outer surface of the can. A vacuum or friction is created between the surface of the holder and the surface of the can. This makes release of the can very difficult. It is usually necessary to squeeze the holder or to bend the can so as to create a proper release of the can from the holder.
In the past, various U.S. patents have issued on various types of beverage can holders. U.S. Pat. No. 2,201,779, issued on May 21, 1940, to H. Lathrop describes an ornamental covering for containers. This ornamental covering has a cover element which is detachably secured, by a snap, around the exterior surface of the container. A covering element, formed like a hat, is designed so as to extend around the cylindrical diameter of the body covering. A top surface extends over the top of the container. The body covering is connected in overlapping relationship by the use of the snaps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,453, issued on Feb. 8, 1983, to T. E. Branscum describes a container holder that includes a cylindrical support for receiving the container. The cylindrical support is made of an insulating material, such as rigid foam. The top of the support is provided with an opening which is eccentric relative to the center of the support. A pivotal cap is received on the support and has an opening which overlies the first opening. When the openings are aligned, a container may be inserted into the support. The openings are large enough to accommodate beverage cans or other containers of different sizes. After the container is inserted, the cap is pivoted so as to cause the container to be gripped between the edges of the opening at the top of the support and the edges of the opening in the pivotal cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,422, issued on May 17, 1983, to Gordon et al. teaches an insulated holder for a beverage that has a ring around the edge of the can and a vacuum release. A flexible member sealingly engages the side walls of the beverage container at the other end of the compartment so as to form an airtight, sealed space within the compartment and to provide effective insulation to the beverage container. A valve is provided on the holder wall so as to permit the easy insertion and removal of a beverage container from the holder compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,239, issued on Jul. 21, 1987, to Manns et al. describes an insulated container for cans that has a ring at the top so as to keep the can from touching the sides. An airspace is formed between the insulation material and the sides of the can. An annular sealing member of resilient cellular material has a radial dimension which is substantially greater than the radial dimension of the annular recess.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,023, issued on Jan. 19, 1988, to M. J. Jeff describes a combined insulated mug and beverage can holder that includes a one-piece flexible ring-shaped retainer with an annular groove that mounts on the upper rim of an insulated mug. The annular groove on the retainer has an outside lip that has a slightly inward bias and is of a slightly smaller diameter than the outside of the flared portion of the mug that it is fastened to. When the retainer is fitted to the mug's upper rim, the insulated mug functions as an insulated holder of a beverage can and when the retainer is not fitted to the upper rim, the mug can function as a normal drinking vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,577, issued on Oct. 10, 1989, to J. L. Smith teaches a beverage can holder having a lid which is hingedly connected to the side of the holder body. The lid has a configuration which fits over the exterior surface of the can.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,025, issued on Dec. 8, 1992, to I-Hong Guo describes a beverage can holder body that is capable of assembly. The body has a plurality of buttons that can be fastened together to form the body of the beverage can holder. The base of the holder is attached by fastening the snaps to the buttons on the body.
British Patent No. 2,235,523 teaches an insulation container for a beverage can which has a slot down the side. This container does not have a hole on the bottom. Information or promotional material may be placed on the outer layer of the container. A zipper is provided so as to permit inspection of the bottle and access to the container.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage container insulator apparatus which allows for easy insertion and release of the beverage container.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a beverage container insulator apparatus which allows advertising and image information to be easily included on the exterior of the apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a beverage container insulator apparatus which effectively insulates the container received within the apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a beverage container insulator apparatus that is easy to assemble, easy to use, easy to manufacture, and easy to display.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.